1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stable beverages containing a particular tri-gum blend of xanthan gum, gellan gum and pectin gum. The invention further relates to a method of making stable beverages, as well as to the tri-gum blend. The invention is preferably directed to smoothie beverages and to a method of making the same.
2. Related Background Art
Smoothies are a popular class of beverages in the United States, typically comprising a variety of ingredients handpicked by the consumer which are blended together to form a fresh, unique and healthy snack. Smoothies are known for their thick, rich mouthfeel and often employ fruit, juice, dairy, soy, vegetable, vitamin and fiber components. Heretofore, such beverages were available almost exclusively at establishments such as juice bars and restaurants, which offer a multitude of custom-made smoothie beverages. In order to expand the availability of smoothies, it is, therefore, desirable to provide a shelf-stable smoothie beverage having most of the characteristics typically associated with fresh-made smoothies.
In addition, one problem arises with the consumption of fresh-made smoothies, namely thinning and phase separation with elapse of time. In other words, there is a finite, and relatively short, time in which a fresh-made smoothie must be consumed before the beverage begins to thin and/or form a layer of water at the top or bottom of the beverage. It would, therefore, be desirable to have a smoothie beverage which does not suffer from this disadvantage, i.e., a shelf-stable smoothie beverage.
In order to develop a shelf-stable smoothie beverage, a beverage matrix capable of suspending solid materials and of providing the appropriate mouthfeel is required. In this regard, gums including xanthan gum, gellan gum and pectin gum are well-known thickening agents in the food and beverage industry. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,090 (directed to a liquid additive thickener containing xanthan, pectin or any one of a number of other gums, which may be used in combination with guar or gum arabic); U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,356 (directed to an anti-microbial beverage composition optionally containing thickeners such as xanthan, gellan, pectin, a number of other gums or combinations thereof at levels of up to 0.07%); U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,883 (directed to a method of suspending inclusions, the first step of which is forming a pre-gel solution using gellan (0.2 to 1.5%) or xanthan, pectin, a number of other gums or combinations thereof (0.1 to 1.0%); U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,294 (directed to ready-to-cook food or beverage mixes in which any of a number of gums including xanthan, gellan and pectin and combinations thereof may be used); U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,919,512 and 5,792,502 (directed to dilute juice beverages having a stable emulsion accomplished using 0.005 to 0.015% xanthan and other optional thickeners including gellan and pectin at levels of up to 0.07%); U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,358 (directed to stable beverages having an oil-in-water emulsion, xanthan, pectin and a number of other gums, as well as mixtures thereof, as possible stabilizers and xanthan, gellan, pectin, a number of other gums, and mixtures thereof as potential thickeners to be used in amounts of 0.0025% to 0.20%); U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,604 (directed to a stable pourable beverage containing gellan (0.01% to 0.15%) and xanthan, pectin and other gums as optional thickeners in large amounts); U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,751 (directed to a thickened foodstuff containing non-pregelatinized amylose polymer and a biopolymer comprising xanthan, pectin, a number of other gums or combinations thereof); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,528 (directed to a gellable composition comprising (a) gellan, (b) xanthan and (c) galactomannan or glucomarnan).